Newsletter
Treated the lawn to a scarify, aerate and top dressing. Problem is it took me about an hour to do a patch 3m x 3m, which just leaves the remaining 90% or so. An elephant task this - to be done in small bite sized chunks. Picked and cooked one
Newsletter
A week ago night-time temperatures were 13C or more. Last night it dropped to 3C. The air is still, chill and clear. Summer is over. In the cold stillness outside the plants seem to be holding their breath, stopped in their tracks and preparing for their slow retreat into themselves
Newsletter
It's 9.40 pm and still 22C out. Like our nights in Tuscany. But on cue (as per BBC forecast) it has just started raining. Heard the lightning on the radio and here it is. Got the frame up for the shade tunnel - and not much more
Newsletter
Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert'. Not quite as happy as it would be in more moist soil, but it lights up the border under the birch tree just fine. The new shade tunnel frame. These sunflowers were 2" high in late June. They may be called 'Russian
Newsletter
Steady sunshine all day, the lightest of breezes, 18-24C and still nearly 19C now at 8pm. Spent nearly all day taking cuttings and sowing perennial seeds. Moved some of the successful cuttings out of the polytunnel and into the cold frame - which is full. We had another go at
Newsletter
There's so much going on I'm not sure where to start. Here follows the bullet point approach to blogging - tomatoes: usual story, plants pressed against the roof, some but not many tomatoes - runner beans: a glut beyond gluttony - carrots: large, firm, carroty. A
Newsletter
The first cyclamen of autumn, dressed in borrowed clothes from geranium striatum The shade tunnel in progress
Newsletter
Another 18mm today - that's 37mm in three days. It's dropped cooler as well, and the crab apples have coloured up on the tree next door, giving the first hint of the reds and yellows of autumn to come. Our summer of exam stress is over
Newsletter
We had half an inch of the wet stuff overnight. Would have been absolutely fine - except that we left out a load of garden furniture and the rear seats from my car which are soaked through. The second big garden party for this summer has done its worst and
Newsletter
Not of our garden but of the Wales/Cheshire border from a friend's microlight. Had an hour's flight tonight, so no gardening, but a great way to see into other peoples' back gardens. So many trampolines!
Newsletter
Newsletter
Over an inch of rain here yesterday - so the garden is lush and green. Just a shame Old Trafford got exactly the same. Question is, can England bowl the Aussies out in one day. Touch and go...